lamphier



(No Mode-1.) I 2 Sheets -Sheet l. J. W. LAMPHIER.

LAST.

No. 399,996. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. LAMPHIER.

LAST. No. 399,996. Pategglted Mar; 19, 1889.

llnrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN V. LAMPHIER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,996, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed June 6, 1888. Serial No. 276,180. (No model.)

To ctZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WV. LAMPHIER, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Lasts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to that class of lasts known as a sawed lastthat is, a last which is first shaped entire from a solid block of wood and then has the instep-block removed by sawing from side to side of the last. This of course provides an instep-block with an under surface having no projection, and the same is true of the other portion of the last from which the block is removed. It is desirable for many reasons to make the last in this way; but a last so made must have provision for securing the instep-block to the remainder of the last, first, in a manner to prevent its lateral or sidewise movement in relation thereto; second, in a way to prevent it from moving endwise and upward, and, third, the device for securing it or looking it down or against the tendency to rise must be easily controlled by the operator; and my invention relates to the particular devices for obtaining these results, and is, it may be said,

in some respects an improvement upon the patent to l ewhall, No. 74,580, dated February 18, 1868.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a last having the features of my invention, the last-block being represented as removed or detached from the remainder of the last. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the last from end to end. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 1.1 are detail. views, to which referenceis hereinafter made.

A represents the main part of the last, and u the instep-block. The complete last is preferably shaped from a single piece of wood, and the instep-block a then removed or separated from it by sawing, and this provides the main part A of the last with the upper surface, a, and the instep-block with the lower surface, (1 which are in part shown in Fig. 1. There is then formed in the surface a, extending from the top a of the last, a recess, a, which, preferably, is in the shape of a dovetail in cross-section, and which has a flaring mouth, a. (See Fig. 1.) Into this recess there is fitted the metal dovetail a, which, preferably, is formed from sheet metal by bending its sides upward and inward to the shape represented in Fig. 4. The upper end or mouth of this metal dovetail piece flares or opens outwardly on each side a and the bottom a (See Figs. 1, 5, and 7.) This metal dovetail is secured in the recess a in any desired way, and the upper surface of the sides is flush with the surface a. (See Fig. 1.)

To the under surface of the instep-block a is secured a dovetail tongue, a. (See Figs. 2, 3, and 8.) This dovetail tongue is of metal in the form of a solid block, and is fastened by screws (r to the under surface of the instep-block. The dovetail tongue is of a size to flt the recess of the metal dovetail. The lower edge, a, of the metal tongue (see Fig. 8) is cut away or decreased in thickness to permit the movement of the spring-latch (1. which is secured to the under surface of the dovetail tongue by the screws a which fasten the dovetail tongue to the instep-block. This spring-latch (0 has a pin, which enters a hole, a, in the metal dovetail or dovetail lining a near the mouth or entrance thereto, (see Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 8,) and it is arranged to project beyond the upper end, e of the illstep-block, (see Fig. 2,) and it has secured to it, near its upper end and above the end (L of the instep-block, a metal eye, a through which a cord, a", fastened at a to the instepblook and to the side of the heel end of the main part of the last extends. There is formed in the side of the heel end of the last a groove, a, to receive the cord when the last is in the shoe. The construction of the mouth of the dovetail is such that the metal tongue is readily entered into it, and the instep-block, being pushed downward, causes the lower end, ta of the metal tongue to come in contact with the shoulder or surface a at the end of the dovetail recess, and the upper end, a of the metal dovetail being shaped to flare, causes the spring-latch to be easily lifted, the pin (0 riding thereon until the lower end of the tongue comes in contact with the shoulder a, when it enters the hole a automatically and looks or latches the instep-block to the remainder of the last.

It will be observed that when the two parts of the last are thus secured there is a space at 0, between the instep-block and the last proper, in which the spring-latch (1- is free to be moved, and that upon the drawing or upward pull upon the cord a" the first stress comes through the eye a upon the upper end of the spring-latch and serves to withdraw the latching-pin a from the hole a, and the continued draft upon the cord draws the instep-block upward and detaches it from the remainder of the last.

In some instances the cord a" need not be secured or attached to the heel end of the last, in which case it will extend from the instep-block through the eye and be knotted upon its loose end, (see Fig. 11;) and in this event it will be desirable to secure the instepblock to the heel end .of the last by an independent cord extending from the side of the instep-block, (see Fig. 9,) and the last preferably is provided with a groove extending between the two points or ends of the cord to receive it when the last is in the shoe.

In Fig. 8 I represent the latching-pin and eye as separate. They may, however, be made integral, as represented in Fig. 10-that is, the shank of the eye will be extended below the under surface of the spring to form the pin, and headed slightly to prevent its movement in relation to the spring-plate; and for certain uses I prefer that the eye be located in arecess out in the upper end of the instepblock, so that no part of the eye or spring shall extend above the upper surface of the last. This is especially desirable in lasts used for turned work.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States v 1. In a last, the combination of the main part A, having a recess in the upper part of its surface at, extending to the top of the last and having a metal dovetail secured therein, which is provided with the flaring end a and hole a, with the instep-block a, having the metal dovetail tongue a the spring latchplate (0 secured to the tongue and having the pin (r and eye a and a cord, to", preferably fastened to the heel end of the last and extending through the eye and secured to the instep-block, substantially as described.

2. In a last, the combination of the main part A, having a dovetail recess open at its upper end, with an instep-block having a tongue to fit the dovetail recess, a latch for locking the instep-block to the main part of the last, a cord connected with the instepblock and with the latch, and another cord extending from the side of the instep-block to the heel end of the last to fasten the two parts together, substantially as described.

JOHN WV. LAMPHIER. 

